From Bad to Best
by ChibisandRoses
Summary: As days go, Levy's goes from sucky to just plain cursed. But will a certain grumpy mechanic make the sun shine a bit on this horrible day after all?


Levy held back a curse, covered her books as best she could with her sweater, and ran another hundred yards before ducking underneath another awning.

 _Of course you got stuck in a storm Levy, how else would this perfect day end?_

She mentally scanned how much farther her apartment was, (several miles) and chose to instead find the nearest mechanic and then call her tow service. Her 10 year old junker of a car had finally given out, (not the most shocking news) but that hasn't been the only thing about today that made her want to tear her bright blue locks out.

Her day had actually started out quite nicely, her boyfriend of 3 months waking her up nice and early with breakfast, but when she'd later went to shower, she'd discovered there was no hot water. She'd shrugged it off, and just made it quick.

Then traffic had been hell, which was rare for a little town like Magnolia, but she'd been expecting it, the city government had made sure their citizens knew that one of the busier streets was being worked on.

All of this combined had only made her on time to work, though. But that's when the day really started to pick up.

Soon, she found that her boss had done all of the inventory on the books wrong, so she had to redo all of those; the new girl they'd hired misplaced nearly 100 books the library had just been donated, and when they found them, she'd put nearly all of them away wrong; she spilled hot coffee all over her sweater; then to top it all off, her best friend Lucy had texted her something that finally break her: she'd caught Levy's boyfriend cheating on her.

After that particularly nice last touch, Levy had spent 10 minutes talking to Lucy about it, then went right back to work with a vigor like never before, straightening up all of the aforementioned problems, and also tackling several different projects afterwards. Then her boss needed her to stay late and close up because of a family emergency. So when her beat up sedan finally coughed out its last few miles, she'd simply grabbed her books, and went for a walk to find the nearest coffee shop for a few precious moments of peace and relative quiet.

But she hadn't been paying attention when she'd found the place, so when she left a half hour before they closed at 9, (right as the storm started) she had very little to no idea where she was.

She'd managed to walk back to a part of town she was familiar with, and then decided to just keep walking and deal with it later.

But the storm she was currently trying to shield herself from was convincing her otherwise.

She searched for the nearest mechanic, and came up with one only a few minutes down the street called Redfox and Son. She figured that it's proximity and name were enough to give it a try. Seeing as she had never really gone to a mechanic, able to do the simple things like change the oil and tires, and her friend Lucy knew someone who worked on cars, so she just let her take care of it, barely noticing the dent in her savings account.

With a very rich adoptive father, she had a completely separate account for the money he gave her that she only used for big purchases or spending.

As she made her way there, she pulled up the hood of her heavy sweater (thankful she'd thought to bring one with a hood) and called for a tow.

When she got to the warehouse-looking, steel building, she briefly had second thoughts, but didn't spend that much time deliberation because that meant getting soaked even more.

"Hello?" She called out, hoping they weren't closing up just yet, seeing as it was around 9 o'clock at night.

"Hello there, what can I do for you?" A pleasant but deep voice responded back after a moment, just before a rather large man stepped in the room.

His voice had depicted very close to the actual person. He had dark brown skin, nearly completely black, smooth and only blemished by a scar running from just above his eyebrow, through his eye, to about the top of the middle of his cheek. His smile was genuine and kind, but if it weren't for that, Levy would have been tempted to run, and fast. His build was that of professional boxers, thinner than body builders, but filled with nearly as much power. He was much taller than her petite 5'3", probably over 6 feet.

She regained herself after a moment of inner debate. "Um yes, my car broke down on Third Street, and I was wondering if you guys could work on it? I can have it towed here." She'd told them to standby on where to bring it just yet, not having actually confirmed the deal.

He smiled. "Of course. We are closing in about an hour, so you won't be getting it back as soon as you would like I'm sure."

She smiled back, already much more comfortable, and shrugged. "It's not absolutely necessary to have it back, so don't worry about it. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you told me there was nothing you could do, its old and tired."

He laughed and held out his hand. "Lily at your service ma'am."

She shook it, not surprised at all by his hand swallowing hers at all. "Levy, and thank you. Let me let my towers know where to take my car." Then she called and gave them the address of the place.

She had walked down the hallway to take her call, and when she hung up, she found herself facing a door. Lily came up behind her.

"That's where we work. If you'd like to join me, you can see where you're car will be the next few days, and also meet the other person who'll be working on it."

She followed him as he walked in the brightly lit room that smelled like a million car pieces, oils, and a touch of sweat. But mostly, it smelled a lot like rain. She saw why when she turned and noticed that the warehouse door was open, the storm still raging, but not really reaching inside. It was mostly just creating a steady, cool breeze that she was sure was nice when you were underneath or inside the hood of a car all day. She also noticed how dark it was outside.

As she sent Lucy a quick text briefly explaining what was going on, Lily called out. "Gajeel! We've got a customer!"

She heard a large groan, originating from underneath the lifted van to her left.

"Fucking hell Lil, why are you taking 'em in an hour before we close?!" She saw him wheel his head out to glare at the man next to her.

She was shocked at his appearance, though maybe she shouldn't have been. His very long black hair was tied up and kept out of his face by a bandana, looking unruly yet also soft and silky. His red eyes pierced through her, his features prominent and purely masculine.

In other words, slightly terrifying, but mostly insanely sexy. Levy had always had a secret thing for bad boys, and he looked like what bad boys were scared of.

Without hesitation, Lily reached down and smacked him upside the head. "Watch your language, there is a lady present."

He grumbled, but got up off of the floor, and eyed her. For a few moments, he said nothing, then he smirked. "Got stuck on the side of the road in a storm, huh Shorty?"

"Gajeel!" She heard Lily exclaim, but before anything else occurred, she simply folded her arms across her chest.

"Nope. I went to a coffee shop to read for a bit after I broke down, then looked for the nearest mechanic."

He rose an eyebrow. "You knew your car wouldn't start back up, but you went and read for a while before getting it towed?"

 _Well that makes it sound stupid._ She cleared her throat. "It's been a long, tiring day. I needed a breather."

He just shrugged. "Alright then. What's the issue?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, to tell you the truth. I do the basics when it needs it, but I'm guessing it's just age. It's old and has been well used for far too long, before it was even given to me."

He frowned a bit. "Alright. Is it on the way?"

She nodded. "Should be here any second.

They heard a loud honking in the front of the store. She smiled.

"Perfect timing." Lily chuckled.

He went to the front to direct the truck where to go while Levy was told to just stay still and "out of the way." Instead of arguing like she really wanted to, she simply stuck her tongue out at his back, and stayed put. Gajeel helped Lily get her car in the garage, both trying to avoid the rain as much as possible.

She walked over when it seemed safe, talked to the tow man, and then came back to the boys who were opening the hood and trying to start the car. Gajeel suddenly looked over at her.

"Hey Shrimp, have you ever been here before?"

She was confused. "No. Why?"

He shook his head. "Because I swear I know this car. It's a regular. Who usually works on your car?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. My friend Lucy takes care of it for me, she knows a guy."

His eyes lit up with recognition. " _You're_ Levy?!"

She was taken aback. "Yes." She was now a bit hesitant. "Ha ha! She's dating my idiot cousin Natsu! _I'm_ the guy she knows."

She was shocked. "Oh, well then, does that make your job easier?" _What a coincidence..._

He laughed, a strange Gihi sound that almost didn't suit him, but strangely did. "Hell yeah. But I can tell you right now, it might just be done."

She slumped. While she'd been very prepared for such an answer, it still made her a bit sad. She'd really loved the little car.

As she watched Gajeel tinker and mutter, she noticed Lily wiping off his hands, and walk towards her.

"My apologies, this project will most likely take a while Miss McGarden."

"Levy, please, and I don't mind."

Gajeel cut in. "I kept telling Lucy that whoever owns this little piece of junk needs to just scrap it and sell the parts. You're just wasting your money tryin' to get this thing up and running every time." She smirked

"And yet, you've managed to do it every time. Fancy that."Then she turned to Lily, who was watching them with a bemused look on his face. "Could I bother you for a ride home? I'd walk, but I have my books, and my other sweater is already soaked through."

Lily's eyebrows went up in surprise. "You'd walk in this storm?" She shrugged.

"Rain doesn't really bother me. I quite like it actually."

"You'd go out there in this crazy ass weather, but your _books_ are what keep you back? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Gajeel! Mind your manners!"

Levy just shrugged again. If he had been flattering and charming, she wouldn't have known what to do with him, but she could handle belligerent and raucous all day long. She's grown up with Natsu and Gray, after all.

"They aren't my books. What's wrong with caring about other people's things more than your own convenience?" Then she arched her brow at him, expecting a response.

She noticed that on top of the multiple piercings on his face, he also had them on his arms, along with some very beautiful looking tattoos, one of which she could've sworn she'd seen before.

He just humphed and went back to work, but not before sending her a look of almost appreciation.

Lily caught her attention once more. "I would be glad to give you a ride home. Give me a few moments before I can do all the details, lock up and such, and then I'll bring the car around. And Gajeel," he turned and made sure he had the younger man's eyes before he continued, "Please try to be kind."

He just scoffed and continued back to listening to the various sounds her car was giving off.

After Lily left the room, she found a chair close by, and slumped into it. Despite the horrid day she'd had, she wasn't that bad off.

 _Oh, who am I kidding?_ The day flitted through her head again, reminding her of everything she'd be going home to: an ex boyfriend packing up his things, a best friend worried and ready for tears that Levy had refused to let fall yet, most likely futile attempts to get the coffee stain out of one of her favorite sweaters. And no car for a few days, possibly having to get a new one very soon. Luckily Lucy and her brothers would be very willing to lend her a helping hand. But Levy hated relying on other people for day to day things, it raked along her independent personality.

Levy hadn't realized that she'd been sighing along with her thoughts before Gajeels voice rang out.

"You said you had a tiring day. Sucky work day?"

She groaned. "Ugh I forgot about that part. Yes, that sucked too."

She heard a faint chuckle, before she turned her head to see him walk towards her, stopping to lean against the table across from her.

"Sorry Shorty, didn't mean to make it worse."

She scoffed. "Not much could, at this point." She looked off to the side, mulling over all that the one day had changed in her life.

"What happened?" She shot a look over at him.

"You don't have to try, Gajeel. Lily told you to be kind, but honestly the kindest thing you could do is fix my car as soon as possible."

He seemed a bit offended. "Trust me Squirt, I was already going to do that. I'm good at my job, and I keep it that way. I just wanted to know how bad of a day a Shrimp could have that caused her to be comfortable around a guy like me with no problem. You seem like the type that smiles when no one else can stand to."

She sighed again. "I am, usually, but some days, like today, even smiling isn't so easy."

He cocked his head to the side, an oddly adorable gesture for a very large, intimidating man to do. It made her like him just a bit more.

So she told him. She went over the day from beginning to end, and managed not to cry out of frustration or heart sickness.

His face twisted and turned with surprise and sympathy throughout the whole thing, but he didn't interrupt.

When she finished, she groaned and threw her head back in frustration.

"Damn Shorty, that does suck. I don't envy you, that's for sure."

She was suddenly done talking about her now. "So Natsu's your cousin, huh?"

If he was surprised by her sudden topic change, he didn't show it. "Yeah, brat and I have been close as brothers for quite a few years, despite what I want."

She laughed. "Yeah, he tends to have that effect on people."

"How long have you known him?"

"On and off since elementary school. We've never been super close, not until he started bringing Lucy into the group halfway through high school, then I was forced to be around him a lot more, once her and I started getting close."

He chuckled. "Well then you know my pain more than most."

She smiled. "I'm surprised we haven't met before, seeing as long as we've both known him."

He shrugged. "My dad and I lived separately from most of the family, and then when I was on my own, I lived with Wendy and her Ma. Didn't see him so much growing up, but we live together now, taking care of the girlie."

"That doesn't explain why I don't see you now." She cocked her head to the side.

He shrugged. "I'm not one for people. I prefer a lot over spending time with Natsu and his idiotic friends. Er, no offense." He sent an apologetic look to her when he realized what he'd said.

She shrugged. "None taken. Some of them are idiots. But they're quite lovable idiots." She smiled, remembering the large group of friends, "nakama" her father had said, that she'd been integrated into when she was 7 years old.

He shrugged. "Well, either way, I'm not that surprised that we haven't met. Lucy's been pressuring me into meeting you for a couple of years now."

Levy sat up straight. "What?!"

He was surprised. "She's been trying to set us up for a while now, though now I'm guessing that you knew nothing about that." His ears and cheeks were a bit darker now.

Levy's face also heated up. "I'm so sorry! She does this all the time, trying to set me up with guys. The only reason she's stopped recently was because I finally started dating a guy, and well, you can see where that got me."

He grimaced. "Yeah well lots of guys are assholes. Don't let that get you. But you should also remember that before dating a stranger."

She found it odd that he was giving her dating advice, but decided not to say anything. She just nodded and thanked him.

He scratched the back of his neck. "So I'm trying to think of a nice way to ask this question, but I can't, so screw it: How the hell did you not recognize this place as your usual shop?"

She laughed. "Because I just hand Lucy my keys and checkbook, and let her take care of the whole thing. I'm rubbish with cars, and could care less about the process in which it gets fixed. The first time she took it to you, I made note of how long it was gone, and how long before I had to take it back and all that, so I knew I wasn't being cheated or anything. You do very good work, from what I've seen."

He looked away. "Thanks."

"May I ask a question now?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

"How old is Lily? I can't even begin to pinpoint his age."

He laughed. "He's nearing his forties. Why?"

"So why is the name of the shop Redfox and Son?"

He smile dropped. "I need to get that fixed. It used to be my dad's shop, and I worked for him from the time I could tell the difference from an engine and a transmission."

She arched her eyebrows. "And how old were when you could do that?"

"About 10 or 11."

She was astonished, though she really shouldn't have been. He'd grown up with cars all around him, like she has books.

"Impressive."

He shrugged once more, seeming uncomfortable talking about his father and his own accomplishments. She noted this, and changed the subject once more.

"So you and Natsu are helping raise a young girl?"

He seemed grateful for a subject change. "Yeah, Wendy, our cousin."

"How absolutely ruined is she for life?"

He sputtered. "Hey, I'm a damn good provider and guardian!" She laughed.

"You may be, but Natsu has a hand in it as well, no?"

"Fair enough. Natsu's not too bad at it, but he encourages her to do the crazy and not necessarily right things sometimes. But for the most part, the kid takes care of herself. Always has, I assume she always will. She's always been more mature than others her age."

"Hm. How old is she?"

"Almost 14."

Her eyebrows rose. "That poor girl. How long have you two had her?"

He shrugged. "A couple of years."

"Does she have _any_ female adults in her life?"

He bristled. "Yes, she's absolutely fine. Quit questioning my parenting damn it!"

She laughed. "Just making sure some poor girl isn't going through puberty all on her own with Natsu and you to guide her through it."

"Miss Levy, I can take you now." Lily called out as he walked out of the truck he'd brought without her noticing.

She got up and stretched. When she stopped, she caught Gajeel watching with an inappropriate gleam in his eye. She tried not to blush and didn't address it.

She walked over to Lily and smiled when he leaned so that the umbrella covered her as well. "I'll stay in contact with you as Chester comes along. Thank you again Gajeel."

He rose an eyebrow at the car's name, but otherwise just nodded. "Later Shrimp."

She called out "The name's Levy!" as she climbed in and shut the door.

10 minutes later, she was walking up the stairs to her floor when her ex, Warren, came barreling down them with a very mad Lucy following close by. She stopped and looked down at the box in his hands.

"Is that the last of it?" He tried to apologize and excuse, but she cut him off and asked the question again.

He shook his head. "Then get the rest tomorrow. I'm tired and have had a very long day. Get your necessities, and then please leave for the night."

Then she kept going up the stairs, proud of herself for remaining calm and collected instead of punching him like she really kinda did. Lucy followed her up.

"Wow Levy, that was amazing! How did things go with Gajeel and Lily? Can they fix it up?"

Levy shrugged. "Gajeel doesn't know whether or not he can save Chester this time. I'm prepared for the worst, and have been for months."

Lucy's eyes gleamed in a way that scared Levy a bit. As they entered their apartment, Lucy sat her down and started getting a glass of wine prepared. _Bless her heart._

As they sipped, Lucy started her questioning. "So what did you think of Gajeel?"

Levy shrugged. "He seems rude and very good at his job."

Lucy laughed. "Yeah that's him alright! Don't you think he's kind of handsome though, in a rugged way?"

Levy rolled her eyes and gave up pretense. "Yes, Lucy, he's incredibly sexy. But you already knew I would think that, seeing as you know the kind of guys I like. What I find strange is that you are often telling me that my preferences aren't safe. Now you're suddenly approving?"

Lucy laughed. "That's because he looks how you like them, but he also acts how you like them, he's really just a big softie. You should see him with Wendy."

Levy laughed. "Well, either way, I'm not exactly looking for someone right now. I did just break up with my boyfriend today."

"True, but you don't have to be looking for a relationship. You can just have fun in the nice rebound section."

Levy rose an eyebrow. "With Gajeel? No thank you. He seems like a good friend, not someone I want to be friends with benefits with."

Lucy sighed. "You're so unadventurous Levy! You were just cheated on, you should be going out and living it up and sticking it to him! Why not with Gajeel?"

"Because we have mutual friends; he has a lot of responsibilities, as do I; and -again- I _just_ broke up with my boyfriend."

Lucy ignored her logic and smiled again. "I noticed that you didn't say anything about not being attracted to each other."

Levy rolled her eyes. "I've spent an hour with him, tops."

Lucy laughed. "And you're already attracted to each other! Hah! I called it! I've got to call Natsu and tell him I won!"

As she ran off, Levy pursed her lips and sipped her wine, knowing better than to try and stop Lucy. She could be damn convincing if she wanted to be.

And Levy couldn't argue against being attracted to him either. He was very much her type.

But though she'd caught him looking today, she also knew there wasn't much to look at. She'd been wearing a baggy, way-too-large jacket and jeans. Though the jeans did make her butt look rather nice, the jacket covered that _(cough)_ asset.

But she was not one to have a purely physical relationship. She had less than a handful of drunken one night stands, and no intentional, sober ones.

She was the type who committed herself for long term. She wasn't the kind to have booty calls or anything like that, she cherished people and their emotions too much for that, on top of her own.

But she found that despite the disappointment and hurt of being cheated on, she wasn't really that sad over the whole thing. She hadn't really cared for Warren that much, he had been another setup from Lucy.

She sighed and went to her room, getting dressed for bed. Lucy walked in a few minutes later, declaring a Netflix night. Levy saw no reason against it, and promptly put in their favorite sitcom: Parks and Recreation. For a few hours they laughed and watched, then Levy turned to Lucy during a bathroom break.

"Hey, can I have Gajeel's number?"

Lucy's eyes got that gleam again. "Of course! Planning to talk to him more from now on?"

"While the answer to that is yes, it's also not a yes to the way I think that you mean. I'd like to keep track of where Chester is at in recovery."

"Mhmm..." Lucy murmured in doubt, but gave her the number with no further hesitation.

The rest of the night went by smoothly, and Levy woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and hoping for a much better day than the one before.


End file.
